Light In The Darkness II: Ultimate Threat
by Blitz Chick
Summary: It's been two months since the incident in the Undernet, but not everything is all right. Now it's up to ProtoMan, but can he save the one who saved him? Sequel to Light In The Darkness.
1. The REAL First Chapter

Light In The Darkness II:

Ultimate Threat

Blitz Chick, who, at the urging of HydraMan.EXE and other devoted fans, decided to write a sequel to the favorite story, Light In The Darkness, brings this new fan fic to you. Okay, Light In The Darkness got six reviews. So sue me! But Hydra wanted to see it, so here it is. I hope ya'll like what you got!

ProtoMan. EXE was waiting. Not for anything in particular, but for a close friend. He leaned against a tree in Net City Park, closing his dark blue eyes behind his sunglasses. If he were human, ProtoMan would be about thirteen, tall, with a long silver ponytail that flowed down his back. Swiftly, the red Navi opened his eyes stared at the clear blue cyber sky.

It had been almost two months since the incident in the Undernet. His partner's eyesight data had been restored and the three victims of the trap that had been sprung made full recoveries.

But there were still some loose ends to be dealt with.

At this point, the tall Navi was brought out of his thoughts quite abruptly and unceremoniously. Well, you would be too if someone had just catapulted into you at full speed.

Starfire.EXE was giggling and laughing as she rolled off of ProtoMan, her bright blue eyes sparking like sapphires. ProtoMan's partner was bright and bubbly, which got Starfire into a lot of trouble. Designed like Roll, Starfire had adopted an orange, red and gold color scheme. Those strange things on the helmet had been removed and Starfire's ponytail rivaled ProtoMan's, only it was a long, shimmering blonde. Only two months prior, she had been blind for a week.

ProtoMan picked himself up. "Yes Star, I'm happy to see you too. But do you have to jump on me like that?"

With a content sigh, Starfire adopted her trademark grin. "'Course I have to Proto! I mean, how would you know that it was me otherwise?"

The two had gotten together to discuss the loose ends of their last mission, but Proto decided that they could talk for a little bit. What harm could it do?

Unbeknownst to them, the two Navis were being watched by a longing set of eyes.

"So," Star began causally, "Had any good Netbattles lately?"

The taller red Navi shrugged. "I had a pretty intense Netbattle with MegaMan the other day."

"Awwww… I wish I could've seen that! The most exciting match I've had lately was with GutsMan." Rolling her eyes, Starfire's grin widened. "It was like an ant verses a steamroller."

ProtoMan winced in spite of himself. "Ouch, you were beaten that bad?"

Giving her partner a strange look, Starfire cocked an eyebrow. "Who said I was the one who got beat?"

Smiling, ProtoMan shook his head. Starfire was only thirteen, and she didn't seem in a hurry to mature. But after she had gotten back with the reinforcements to save him from the trap in the Undernet, Star had changed. Not a big visible change, but something was different.

That was why ProtoMan had called her here.

"Star," The red Navi rolled onto his side to get a better look at Starfire. "We need to talk."

Likewise, the golden haired Navi rolled onto her side, blinking curiously. "Sure, we can talk. What's up?"

"When I was trapped, you went to get help. I…I just want to know if anything happened out there. Something you didn't tell me about."

For a long time, Starfire was still, staring at a highly unremarkable blade of grass. It was at times like this that ProtoMan was reminded of how much Star was like her brother. Eventually she looked up and opened her mouth as if to say something.

But whatever it was Starfire was about to say, she never did get it out.

In seconds, the mood had gone from relaxed to a tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Not that you'd want to put a knife between the two Navis facing off right now.

ShadowMan.EXE was not a Navi you wanted to be arguing with on a good day. He resembled a ninja, and was incredibly fast.

And now, he had Starfire struggling in his grasp.

ProtoMan had his Cyber Sword out in a matter of seconds. "ShadowMan! Let her go!"

Narrowing his eyes, ShadowMan seemed to be smirking. "I think not. This little prize," He tightened his hold on Starfire, who pulled at the hand over her mouth. "Is coming with me."

At last, Starfire managed to pull her head above ShadowMan's smothering grasp. Defiantly, she brought her head right back down and sunk her teeth into ShadowMan's hand.

Unfortunately, this seemed to amuse ShadowMan, rather than cause him pain. "Ah, ah, ah…" He sneered, speaking like a parent to a disobedient child. Using a free hand, the ninja-like Navi pulled out a small capsule.

In an instant, ProtoMan had identified the capsule. It was called a sleeper, and was like a sleeping gas for Navis. But the capsule could be programmed to not work on certain Navis. "No! STARFIRE!" ProtoMan lunged as ShadowMan crushed the capsule.

Coughing, ProtoMan tried to fend off the deep pink gas. Peering through the smoke, he could see that Starfire had already fallen to the effects of the gas. Collapsing to his knees, ProtoMan reached out a hand towards his immobile partner. "Starfire…"

ShadowMan gave one last smirk before disappearing.

And ProtoMan found that he couldn't resist the effects of the gas any longer. He collapsed face first onto the soft cyber grass.

When ProtoMan opened his eyes, he could hear voices all around him. He wondered how long he had been out.

"It looks like he's coming around!"

Sitting up, ProtoMan was careful to take things slowly so he wouldn't end up back on the ground. As soon as he was up, a medic was by his side, offering him some water.

"Take it easy Mr. ProtoMan, sir. You were out for quite some time. Almost two hours!"

Mentally, ProtoMan groaned. Two hours? ShadowMan was long gone by now. In an instant, ProtoMan drank half the water and the other half went over his head in an effort to wake himself up.

"ProtoMan! What happened? Are you all right?"

Turning, ProtoMan spotted a link to his Net Op, Chaud Blaze. Chaud was thirteen, with white hair and a black underlay. His deep blue eyes were concerned, but alert.

"I'm fine Chaud. But Starfire…Starfire was captured."

The white haired boy frowned. "Captured? By who?"

ProtoMan grimaced. "ShadowMan."

"ShadowMan?" Chaud ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Then he's long gone by now. We'll never catch him! No offense Proto, you're a great tracker and all, but even you can't pick up a trail that's two hours old." With a sigh, Chaud sat back. "What we need is an expert tracker. Someone who's used to dealing with people like this."

A small smile began to spread on ProtoMan's face. "I think I know just the person who can help us in that department."

As his grin widened, ProtoMan looked off towards the south, where the city ended and a dusty plain began.

Authors Note: Confused? Read Light In The Darkness and then try reading this.


	2. Bass

"Are you sure about this?"

ProtoMan nodded, torn between smiling and keeping his poker face. Once more, he was on the boundary of the Undernet, once more about to dive into its depths. With a deep breath, he sprinted across the dusty plain. After ProtoMan had lost sight of all civilization, he glanced up at Chaud. "Let's get to work."

Chaud nodded and began to download some of the most powerful chips he had to ProtoMan, who set about causing the biggest ruckus he could manage.

After quite some time, ProtoMan finally got his intended result.

"WHAT IN ALL OF HEAVEN AND EARTH ARE YOU DOING!"

Stopping, ProtoMan turned around, a small smile gracing his face for only a moment. "It's good to see you again too…Bass."

Bass. EXE was a tall Navi, and had an oddly shaped helmet. Two fins swept back majestically, and his dusty brown cape flapped gently in the breeze. His deep crimson eyes sparkled at ProtoMan, and they were accented by the purple stripes along Bass' cheeks.

Chuckling, Bass shook ProtoMan's hand. "And you too ProtoMan. So, making all this mess was just a ruse to draw me out? Very clever! So, how's my little Starry doing?"

Bass didn't know much about ProtoMan, but from the way he looked down and to the side when he mentioned Starfire told him that was why he had been called.

"So let me get this straight," Bass ran a hand over his helmet, "You and Star were talking about what happened when she went to get help and then ShadowMan came and kidnapped her?"

Solemnly, the red Navi nodded. "I wish this wasn't the case, but it is. I was hoping you could help me track ShadowMan and then I could take it from there…"

Standing up, Bass snorted. "You take ShadowMan alone? Not a chance. Getting killed is not a way to impress the girl you like. I'm helping you."

At this point, Bass did something almost unheard of.

_He removed his helmet._

ProtoMan was shocked. He himself had removed his helmet only once in his life, maybe, but this was something almost unreal!

Bass ran a hand through his purple hair. Yes, purple. It was a lighter purple, about a lilac shade almost. In the back it was pulled into a small ponytail with a strip of black leather. His hair was longer than normal, but Bass made it look very good. It appeared that Bass' nervous habit was to run his hand through his hair.

"I never thought she'd actually do it, but it seems that my little sis has gotten in over her head." With another sigh, Bass looked over at Proto. "She's revealed she's an Ultimate."

"What?" ProtoMan abruptly realized why Bass had taken off his helmet. He was starting to feel really hot with it on. With a quick look around, the silver haired Navi pulled it off and ruffled his hair to get rid of the helmet hair.

"I mean," replied Bass, as he paced agitatedly, "Starfire is not all that she seems! Starfire is _my_ little sister, and as such, she is entitled to inherit whatever traits it is in my power to give her!"

Whirling, Bass looked at ProtoMan. It all looked very dramatic with the cape and everything. "Don't you see? I gave Starry _my_ power! Everyone is out there," He gestured back towards Net City, "Thanking their lucky stars that there's only one Navi like me! They don't know that there's more than one! Starfire is that one. If I'm right, when she was out there getting help, Starry encountered FreezeMan and TorchMan. Since she was blind, Starry had to rely on her power as an Ultimate Navi. So now ShadowMan knows and who knows what he'll do with her?"

ProtoMan held up a hand to stop the black Navi's rant. "Slow up. What do you mean, Ultimate? Are there any special powers that she has that marks her as one?"

Nodding, Bass looked a little calmer. "Yeah! She can do it all! The whole, aura- earthbreaker- floaty thing."

"Floaty thing?" ProtoMan appeared to raise an eyebrow.

A little disappointed Bass nodded. "For lack of better term, yes." Then he took a deep breath and slid his helmet back on. "Now, if I'm going to start tracking, we've got to be where Star was captured."

ProtoMan was all too happy to put his helmet back on. "Are you mad Bass? The spot is crawling with officials and Net Agents! You'll be hauled in or deleted faster than you can say 'Starfire!'"

Grinning, Bass had begun walking back towards civilization. "You're an official, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah…"

"Then we're fine!" Glancing at the red Navi, Bass had his telltale scheming grin on. "Look, if you bring me in, you can say I'm assisting with the investigation and when you come back without me, you'll say I got away!"

As the two Navis raced back towards Net City, ProtoMan released a small sigh. _Try telling that plan_, he thought, _to your little sister and then we'll see how much she likes it_.

"Bass, are you sure that you're doing this right?"

"Of course I'm doing it right!" Bass turned away from ProtoMan to inspect the grass but he muttered something that sounded along the lines of 'amateur.'

For about ten minutes Bass had been inspecting the grass and pacing in strange patterns, shaking his head every so often.

And it hadn't been that easy to get him past all the Net Agents either! It was only when they saw the dangerous spark in Bass' eye when they remembered what Bass could do and let him past.

"I've got it!" Bass cried triumphantly, startling the swarms of beginner net police agents who had gathered to watch. Striding over, Bass stood where ShadowMan had been when he captured Starfire. "He was here, right?"

ProtoMan nodded. "Yeah, that's where he was. And I was right here." Taking his place, ProtoMan dropped to his knees.

Bass turned his head slightly. "You," He pointed at a Navi in the front ranks, "Come here. I need you for a moment. What's your name?"

The Normal Navi trembled but answered. "A-Axl. EXE, Mr. Bass sir."

Nodding, Bass took Axl's arm. "That's a nice name. Now stand here, and don't worry. I'm not gonna hurt you. I just need to demonstrate for my friend here." Gently, he held Axl in a similar way that ShadowMan had. "So ShadowMan was holding Star like this right? Go limp," Instructed Bass to the Navi in his grasp, who obliged willingly. "Now, what I know that you don't is which direction ShadowMan went after you conked out!" Taking a couple steps, Bass placed his feet delicately into the depressed areas of grass where ShadowMan had been, turning and then pointing. "That way."

Following where Bass was pointing, ProtoMan groaned. Bass was pointing to the south.

Straight into the heart of the Undernet.


	3. Trouble

Starfire opened her eyes groggily. When she finally registered that everything around her was pitch black, she didn't panic, like most people would. No, only one thought went through her mind at that moment.

_Oh no, not again…._

Fortunately, the theory that she had gone blind was quickly dispelled by the fact that abruptly some lights came on, nearly blinding Star.

"Well, well. How is my little guest enjoying her stay?"

Turning her head, Starfire spotted ShadowMan watching her. "ShadowMan, what do you want with me?"

Chuckling evilly, ShadowMan stepped over to his prisoner and took her chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him. "I want what only you have. What only you possess." Narrowing his eyes, a sneer crept onto ShadowMan's face. "I want your Ultimate Program."

If Star hadn't been scared before, she was now. In terror, she broke out of his grip and scampered away from him, her boots hardly making noise on the floor. Clasping a hand to the center of her collarbone, Starfire stared with wide eyes. She didn't know where in her body an Ultimate Program would be stored, but by the collarbone was a good guess. "But…"

"My dear…" ShadowMan walked towards his captive, "Don't you know? Bass is what he is because of that program. Imagine my surprise when I learn there is a _second_ Navi with that same program! In order for me to be on Bass' level, I need that program." Casually, ShadowMan waved his hand. "I knew I had no chance of capturing Bass, not after you three escaped my elaborate trap."

Star couldn't help it; it was in her nature to make a smart comment. "Elaborate? Dude, you trapped us in a cave. A _mettaur _could've thought that plan up."

Although Star was sure ShadowMan had heard her, he continued. "So I decided to go for one who didn't have the same control over that power." He leaned close to the orange Navi. "You."

Taking a step back, Starfire's azure eyes shone dangerously, like Bass' eyes when he was angry. "Never. I'll never tell you what you want! Not if you were my only hope of survival!"

Smirking, ShadowMan made for the exit. "All right, but I do have my ways of making you talk."

When the door slammed shut, Starfire sank to the floor, utterly terrified.

_'Keep it together Star,'_ She coached herself mentally, _'He's just trying to psyche you out.'_ Swallowing, Starfire rubbed at her eyes and choked back a sob. _'Don't you dare start crying now girl!'_ Lifting her head, Starfire was suddenly aware of a dripping noise. Glancing around, she spotted in the corner a small puddle.

With a groan, Star recognized this torture. Chinese water torture. The dripping would drive the person to insanity or give up the information.

Bowing her head with a sigh, Star shook her head gently. It was going to be a long stay here.


	4. The Labryinth

Bass was quiet and thoughtful as he led ProtoMan deeper into the Undernet. His own sister, captured! It hardly seemed possible. And by ShadowMan no less. In the past, ShadowMan had captured countless Navis, and there had always been rescue attempts. None of the rescuers or Navis were ever recovered. Glancing over at ProtoMan, Bass was reminded why this would be different.

ProtoMan had a look of utmost determination on his face, his stride bold and purposeful. His thoughts were of Starfire as well. Was she all right? What had ShadowMan done to her? And how was she going to take Bass' plan?

Abruptly, ProtoMan nearly had the wind knocked out of him by Bass' arm. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Bass stared straight ahead, not taking his eyes off of what was before him. In all his years in the Undernet, he had never seen something like this. Two cliffs rose up before them, rearing hundreds of feet into the perfect blue sky.

The red Navi also realized what Bass was looking at, and couldn't help but feel a certain level of awe and respect for these cliffs. "Is this it?" He asked in a hushed tone.

Bass nodded, drawing his hand back beneath the dusty brown cloak. "Yeah…this is it."

Both began walking cautiously into the long canyon created by the cliffs above them. A gust of wind sent dust spiraling down into the gorge.

ProtoMan coughed and shielded his mouth from the dust. "Man, I wish there was some rain to dampen this dust!"

Bass held out his hand and caught some of the dust. Examining the dust against his palm, the black Navi nodded. "I do too ProtoMan, but it's been a dry season. No rain whatsoever. There's a field on top of these cliffs. I can see some grass seed in the dirt."

ProtoMan looked ahead and saw a cliff face that was unnaturally smooth. Jogging over, he examined the face before turning to his partner. "Hey Bass! Take a look at this!"

Picking himself up, the black Navi floated over and set himself back down next to Proto. "What am I supposed to be looking at?"

Shaking his head, ProtoMan dusted off the carvings on the smooth cliff. "I don't know, it looks like a message of some sort."

Clearing his throat, ProtoMan proceeded to read the message. "Many brave warriors have entered this place, but none have ever returned. If you make it to the end, come back and carve what you have seen here. Beware, for it is rumored that at the end, there is a terrible beast that lurks. Perhaps this is why this place is called The Labyrinth. Good luck."

Bass nodded smugly. "Oh, this sounds just lovely! Well, we know what the beast in here is. ShadowMan!"

"Well, if you're quite done," ProtoMan said, a frown crossing his features, "We have a choice to make."

Following Proto's gaze, the Black Shadow spotted what his partner was talking about. Only a couple yards away there was a fork in the trail. Both boys began examining the paths.

"What do you think?" Called ProtoMan from where he was inspecting the left trail.

Bass shouted his reply. "I think ShadowMan can go straight to…"

"I meant about the trails."

"Oh. Well, I think I found something."

Scrambling over, the silver haired Navi found Bass kneeling, looking at something in his hand. "What is it Bass?"

Holding his hand out, Bass gave a grim smile. "See for yourself."

In his palm, ProtoMan saw a blue guitar pick with a silver star etched onto the surface. "Star's guitar pick," he breathed, taking the pick gently, "I never knew her to go anywhere without it."

Nodding, Bass stood. "Yeah. It must've slipped out of her grasp or something while ShadowMan carried her. So we take this path."

As they walked, ProtoMan thought over the warning at the entrance of the maze. "Bass," He spoke slowly as they walked, "They say none have ever made it out of here alive. So do you think…. are there other things in here aside from that creature they talk about?"

Bass snorted. "If I know ShadowMan, he'd have booby trapped the whole place. So yeah, there's something else here."

Then it was Bass' turn to run into ProtoMan's arm. The tall red Navi was stock still, staring at the path ahead. "Bass, don't take another step."

Confused, the black Navi frowned. "What? Why?"

Without any further explanation, ProtoMan held out his right arm. "Bubbler, battle chip in! Download!" Raising the Bubbler to the sky, ProtoMan fired, sending little droplets of water raining down.

Blinking a drop of water out of his eye, Bass was almost sarcastic. "Whoopee, you made it rain."

Smiling smugly, ProtoMan pointed. "Not exactly."

Following the finger, Bass saw that the droplets would abruptly stop and hang in midair, clinging to tripwires. "Woah…that was a close one!"

Nodding, ProtoMan began to carefully navigate his way through the trap. "Yeah. Now come on, and be careful."

On the other side, Bass shook his head. "I'm sorry about that ProtoMan, I'll trust you more next time."

With a nod, ProtoMan smiled. "No offense taken Bass. Just be careful, or there might not be a next time."

Several hours later, ProtoMan and Bass lay down on the sand, utterly exhausted. In the past hours or so, they had fended off at least 53 attempts on their life, disarmed 5 different bombs, navigated 15 spike pits, two pools of lava, a bottomless gorge, and a pool of acid that opened up beneath their feet.

Glancing over, the red toned Navi panted. "Wow…that has got to be the fastest I've ever seen someone disarm a bomb while dodging swinging axes."

Chuckling, Bass sat up. "Yeah, well, you learn to expect the unexpected out here."

High above them, a familiar evil face peered over the edge of the cliff.

StoneMan opened a link to ShadowMan, who seemed slightly surprised to see his blocky companion.

"StoneMan! What's going on out there?"

"The two Navis are here. A red one with girly hair and one wearing a cape are down in the gorge."

A flicker of surprise crossed ShadowMan's face. "Good. Spring the trap, and make sure that they don't escape."

If he could smile, StoneMan would be grinning from ear to ear.

Bass got to his feet, wiping his brow before looking down at his silver haired partner, who was still lying on the ground. "C'mon Proto, time to go."

ProtoMan seemed utterly exhausted. "Just a little while longer Bass…"

With a shake of his head, Bass moved towards the fallen Navi. "See, that's your problem ProtoMan. You're used to fighting in little spurts, like in a net battle. You've got to learn some endurance fighting." Reaching down, the cloaked warrior pulled ProtoMan to his feet.

Opening his mouth, ProtoMan was about to make a comment, but then he stopped, listening. "Bass…Do you hear something?"

At that moment, a good-sized rock tumbled down, hitting ProtoMan squarely on the head.

Bass caught the unconscious Navi and leapt out of the way of another boulder. "Hold on Proto! Don't go!" Looking up, Bass had only one thought on the thousands of boulders crashing towards them

_Oh sh-_


	5. Starfire's Loss

ShadowMan had invited me into his private operations room. Of course, invited means that the invitee had a choice in the matter.

I was bound at the ankles and wrists with beams of crackling silvery-pink energy.

Laughing like I had just told a particularly amusing joke, ShadowMan looked at me. "Well now, my little angel, isn't it sweet of you to drop in on me?" He took my chin in his hand.

Wrenching my chin out of ShadowMan's grasp, I felt my blue eyes flash. "Well, it would be, but dropping in on someone usually indicates that they have a choice. And don't call me an angel. If you haven't noticed, I'm not dead."

Shrugging, ShadowMan pressed a button on the control panel behind him. "All right. But before you get hostile, Starry, I think you must see something."

_Don't call me Starry_, I thought desperately. Then I looked at the screen. I couldn't help it, my heart leapt with joy when I saw my friends resting in the canyon. And Proto being there helped quite a bit. "Oniichan! Proto!"

Nodding, ShadowMan's eyes sparkled evilly. "That's what I thought. Now these two are going to play the hero. The red one, ProtoMan, is it not, will save you, thus earning your everlasting gratitude while Bass fights with me. When you all escape, you will thank them and kiss your Proto."

"He is not my boyfriend!" I almost yelled, but the little voice in the back of my head was speaking. _He isn't my boyfriend, but I sure wish he were._

"Oh, well," ShadowMan shrugged, "Either way, the hero gets a kiss and you all end up happy. But unfortunately, this is not how this story ends. You see, your heroes won't make it."

Then I saw. With horrible realization I knew. I don't know how, but I just did. "NO!" I lurched forward, eyes wide, "Don't! Please, I'll do anything for you, just don't hurt them!"

_Don't hurt Proto._

But it was too late. I saw the boulders crash down, I saw Proto get hit, and I saw Bass get crushed beneath tons of boulders. Then I let loose a howl of despair. Proto was gone, Bass was gone, Sam and Chaud were as good as gone, what did I have left?

"You see," ShadowMan, remarked coldly, "You never did have a chance to be rescued. You will give me the ultimate program or die. Don't you get it Starry? You were wrongly chosen for the ultimate program. Only those with the willingness and guts to act are worthy of them." With a snap of his fingers, some Heel Navis appeared beside me, where I had collapsed on the floor, staring at the place where the screen had been, but no longer was. "Take Miss Starry back to her room."

And as I was being dragged away, I felt it. A fire ignited within me and did not burn out. I had only felt this fire a couple times before, and even then, it was fleeting. This, I knew, was for real. Soon, and I can assure you, it would be payback time.


	6. A Plan Begins To Form

"…. Hear me? Proto, come on man, can you hear me?"

Groggily, ProtoMan opened his deep blue eyes behind his sunglasses, to see Bass through a dim gold light. "Bass? What-?"

"Thank god you're awake!" The black Navi cried. "We're currently beneath about a ton or so of solid rock."

Proto furrowed his brow in confusion. "But then why aren't we…?"

"I put my aura up only a second before the rocks hit. You've been out for almost twenty minutes." Shifting, Bass closed his eyes for a moment before looking back at Proto. "ProtoMan, I've got something along the lines of a plan, but you might not like it."

Sitting up, ProtoMan stared at the caped Navi. "Look, just tell me."

"Okay. Well, my aura is the only thing that's keeping these rocks from crushing us. I figure if I can transform the aura into some sort of shockwave, it'll throw the rocks off of us."

As he was about to object, the red Navi recalled the last plan Bass had that he thought was crazy. In the end, that plan had saved both his and Bass' life. Shutting his mouth, the silver haired Navi nodded. "Fine. Go for it."

Closing his eyes, Bass drew the aura inwards, which caused the rocks to shudder dangerously. Then, with a wild yell, Bass released the energy within him and the aura was suddenly a glittering shockwave, flinging rocks out of the way, obliterating the smaller ones.

ProtoMan shielded his head and neck, and waited for it to be over.

When it was, Bass was weakly picking himself up off the ground, panting, but he seemed all right. Grinning at ProtoMan, Bass' smile was roguish and lopsided. "Well, that was one heck of a blast."

Smiling, ProtoMan helped the Black Shadow to his feet. "Yeah. That's another one I owe you Bass."

Walking further, Bass noted something. "Hey, is it just me, or is the ground sloping down a little bit?"

Glancing down, ProtoMan nodded. "Yeah, it is! Either this means we're going down or another trap."

Looking ahead, the boys saw that this was no trap, that indeed, they were going underground. Taking a couple more steps, ProtoMan got the distinct feeling something was amiss. He was not to be disappointed.

From up on the cliff tops, two large Spikey viruses leapt down. Their eyes gleamed a bright gold.

"Spikey3EX…" Breathed Bass, taking a step backwards.

The Spikeys resembled large dogs, but Spikey3EX's were the most powerful form of Spikey known to the cyber world. They were a dark green, almost black, while the fur on their chest and underside was a very pale sea green. Three orange oval spots on their backs stood out against the green.

"Don't make any sudden movements," Hissed ProtoMan out of the corner of his mouth. "These are viruses, right?"

Barely moving, Bass nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"Well, I have a bit of a hunch."

"Try me."

"Well, recently scientists have been breeding tame viruses. They'll follow orders and everything. Some Navis have started keeping them as pets. I wonder…. if ShadowMan can get these guys to guard this place, they've got to be tame. So if we just try to make friends…."

It was at this point that the Spikeys decided to attack, ripping into ProtoMan for all that they were worth.

"PROTOMAN!" Bass whirled and saw ProtoMan haul himself up from the ground, severely beaten.

"I am OKAY!" He gasped out before falling back to the ground.

Hauling the red Navi up, Bass kept a close eye on the nearest Spikey. "I don't get it!" ProtoMan moaned, staggering around dizzily. "We didn't attack! Why did they charge like that?"

Bass peered at the Spikeys, which were stalking towards them. "ProtoMan, is it just me, or do they look thin to you?"

Looking at the Spikeys, ProtoMan shrugged. "Yeah, they do look kinda thin. What's that got to do with anything?"

But Bass' mind was already off; scheming like it did most days. "Do you have any food with you?"

Opening his mouth to make a swift remark, ProtoMan remembered. "Yeah, I have these!" The silver haired Navi showed his partner two bug frags that were a shade of red to match ProtoMan. "Star brought them, just in case…"

"That'll have to work. Can you slice them with your cyber sword? I'll keep these two busy." Bass called while dodging the two Spikeys that came at him.

Quickly, ProtoMan sliced each bug frag into twelve slices, and looked up to see Bass leading the Spikeys on a little chase. "Bass! I'm done1"

Throwing him a glance, Bass grinned. "Great! Toss some here!"

ProtoMan tossed him a section and watched with growing curiosity as Bass danced out of reach before offering the two viruses some bug frag.

Almost immediately, the viruses stopped and sniffed at the bug frag curiously. Then, one tentatively took a slice from where Bass had them held out on his palm. Bass seemed to be speaking softly as he moved forward and gently began stroking the nearest virus. Then he winked over at Proto.

"It's okay. C'mon over!"

Cautiously, Proto wandered over, holding out his bug frag to the nearest virus, which lapped up the food happily.

"See? All they really wanted," Bass said happily, stroking his virus, "was a little food! I guess ShadowMan only feeds them when they've done something good, or captured a Navi."

The red Navi had to agree, these Spikeys weren't so bad once they'd been fed. His was even beginning to sniff at him curiously. "You know, maybe we should keep them as pets!"

Laughing, Bass was rubbing his virus's chest. "We should! But I think I have a better idea on how to use them."

ProtoMan glanced at his Spikey, which was happily nosing his hand. It was rather large, and it's head came up to ProtoMan's shoulder! It was then he realized what Bass' plan was. He turned to the black Navi, eyes curious behind his visor. "Can it work?"

Shrugging, Bass allowed the Spikey to examine his cloak without protest. "We're light enough, they're strong and big enough. I don't see much of a problem!"

Both Navis just grinned at each other.

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Sorry these have taken so freaking long to get up; I've been kinda busy. Now, to address some fan questions. Yes, there IS such a thing as Chinese water torture, but it's not how I described it in chapter 3. It is actually where the prisoner is strapped to a table and every hour on the hour they drop a droplet of water on the prisoner's forehead. The prisoner will eventually drive themselves insane waiting for the next drop of water to fall.

But good question!


	7. Paper Bag

I splashed at the water lapping at my feet. The water was still dripping down, but the puddle it created had steadily grown much bigger. I guess ShadowMan isn't big on drainage systems.

Looking down, I stared at my own reflection in the water. It was hard to look at me, so defeated, so forlorn. My big blue eyes were sad, and my cheeks were tear stained. The loss of ProtoMan and Bass was unbearable. They had been my best friends!

Flopping back, I didn't really care that the water I lay in was freezing cold. I was beyond caring. Without Proto…. life wasn't worth it really.

Even though I tried to stop it, the memories of him crowded my mind. He had always been so kind to me! Before a big Net battle he'd always helped me out, calming me down, giving me pointers on how to counter this Navi's particular style. And he'd always been my partner. Even when I had gone blind almost two months ago.

I thought I was done crying over him, but my tears began anew. I just lay there, arms spread wide, staring at the rock ceiling. Eventually, I remembered a song that he and I both liked, and Proto especially enjoyed when I sang.

"She don't run from the sun no more," I sang in a shuddering voice, which wasn't bad for someone who was crying. "She boxed her shadow and she won. She said 'I can see you laugh through these bottle caps, and this wire around my neck ain't there for fun.' But some day we'll all be old and I'll be so dang beautiful!" Closing my eyes, I just couldn't help it. I was crying, but my mouth was curling into a smile. "Meanwhile I hide my head, here in this paper bag, because if I can't see you then you can't see me, and it'll be okay, fly little be away to where there's no more rain and I can be me."

Before launching into the next verse I remembered how Bass had always said this verse was so like me. I always figured it was more like him.

"Yeah, they talk about her. She smiles like she's so tough. She says 'Hey can you talk a little louder? Because I don't think my heart is broken enough.' But someday we'll all be old and I'll be so dang beautiful!"

As I continued into the chorus, I wished Bass were here. He'd hold me and comfort me like he used to. Oniichan would use his big brown traveling cloak to dry my eyes and make everything all right again.

"Some days I wade in the indigo, singing that song on the radio. I blame these puddles on the rain…you know I gotta keep these cheeks dry today, gotta keep my cheating strategy, and baby, I'm gonna have it made!"

Sitting up, I remembered something ProtoMan had said to me a couple weeks before this whole mess had started. I had been moping for some reason, and my silver haired partner had just taken my hands and quoted from a song I later came to know.

_"You can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable, and life's like an hourglass glued to the table. No one can find the rewind button girl, so just cradle your head in your hands and breathe…. just breathe."_

Now, once he was gone, I finally knew what those words meant. Just because bad things happened, I couldn't just jump out of life. Life would go on without me, and there's no way to take back what I do.

Oniichan and Proto gave their lives for mine. I wasn't about to let their memories, their lives be given in vain!

I wasn't gonna hide in my paper bag any longer.

AUTHORS NOTE: The song Star is singing is by Anna Nalick, from her new CD, Wreck of the Day. The song is called Paper Bag.


	8. Under The Stars

Outside ShadowMan's lair, night had fallen in the Labyrinth. ProtoMan was crouched low over his Spikey's neck, his hair snapping in the breeze. For some time now, they had saved valuable time and energy by riding the large viruses. Glancing over, he spotted Bass; barely visible for the darkness he almost melted into. "Bass! Let's break for the night. I'm beat."

Pulling the viruses to a halt, both Navis slid off them and lay in the dust, staring at the stars.

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."

Curious, the red Navi looked over at Bass, who glanced at him.

"It's a quote by Oscar Wilde. I'm kind of fond of it."

Nodding, ProtoMan stared up at the stars, picking out his favorite constellations in a matter of moments.

"So, are you two dating yet?"

Sputtering, ProtoMan propped himself up on his elbows and gave Bass an incredulous look. "WHAT!"

Rolling onto his side, Bass shook his head. "I'm guessing that's a no then." With a sigh, he stared at his friend. "ProtoMan, I want to know something. You love Starfire with the burning passion of a thousand suns. You love her more than net battling. You would give your life for this girl because you know she'd do the same for you. But what I don't get is if you love her like this, why not go after her? Ask her out!"

Suddenly thankful for the darkness, ProtoMan felt his face grow as red as his helmet. "I…well the thing is…. errm…."

"You're scared to death of asking, aren't you?"

Nodding miserably, ProtoMan was surprised Bass couldn't feel the heat radiating from his face. "The thing is, I've never really been in love before now! I don't know what to do!"

With a sage nod, Bass closed his burgundy eyes. "I know how you feel. Did you know that Star's been in love only once before?"

Curious, ProtoMan shook his head.

"It's true. When we were young still. Navis don't really age, so Cossack gave Star the okay to date and such. Well, she had a crush on this Navi, called himself Nightwing. He had something against me, so when Star asked him out, he figured it was the perfect way to get at me. After they had left, I heard of the plan they had, and set out to find him. By the time I got there, his gang was beating on my little Starry. When I showed up, they scattered. They hurt her, and I was pretty upset. But Star, she was the one who suffered most. Ever since, she's been pretty wary about most guys." Giving Proto a sly glance, Bass cocked an eyebrow. "I'm pretty amazed that she trusts you like she does."

Looking down at the sand, ProtoMan was thoughtful. They did have a good strong bond. He had never given it much thought that in the past Star might not have been like she was now. "I never knew…"

"Yeah. Just do me a favor." Looking directly at the silver Navi, Bass' cherry colored eyes glittered in the dark. "Don't tell Starry I told you. She'd beat me from here to kingdom come."

Laughing, ProtoMan leaned back against his Spikey, which he had mentally named Zero, and stared at the sky again.

For the longest time, both Navis were silent before Bass asked airily, "Um, did you name yours?"

"Yeah"

"What?"

"Zero, why? What's yours?"

"Treble."

Laughing again, both Navis drifted off to sleep.


	9. The Lurking Shadow

ShadowMan was scheming when he spotted them on the monitor. ProtoMan and Bass. They had survived the attack! With a malicious grin, the ninja like Navi opened a communications link to StoneMan. "StoneMan! Your trap failed. They are still alive."

"I'm sorry master."

"Do not let them go any farther. Destroy them personally!"

"Yes ShadowMan-sama."

Once StoneMan was gone, ShadowMan turned back to his latest project. It was still, but he could see the beauty of it, the utter brilliance. If inspected too closely though, his cover would be blown.

Standing, ShadowMan approached the tall capsule and placed a finger on the glass, only inches from his creation's nose. "Now my little pet, we shall have to show them how things are done around here, won't we?"

As if in reply, the creation smiled, and it was a familiar smile. Roguish and lopsided, but most certainly evil.

Turning away, ShadowMan had a warm fuzzy feeling he always got when things were going well.

Soon, CopyStar.EXE would show these intruders who was in control in this game.


	10. A Star Is Born

I was practicing using my new powers. Well, they weren't really NEW; I just hadn't really gotten around to learning how to use them. Focusing, I used an aura to scoop up water and levitate it in the air. It was pretty cool, seeing water suspended in the air in a golden bubble. At any rate, I was getting better. I would've tried out my Earthbreaker, but that would've attracted too much attention. At this point in the proceedings, ShadowMan didn't know I had control over my Ultimate Program, and that's just how I wanted it.

Besides, as soon as I got out of this cell, I'd be able to test my Earthbreaker all I wanted.

And as I practiced, a solitary thought drifted into my mind, which made me smile.

_Gee, I hope ShadowMan has insurance on this place._


	11. Of Stone And Stars

As the sun rose, the red Navi and the Black Shadow remounted their viruses and set off deeper into the Labyrinth. Soon it became apparent that they were headed underground, seeing as a ceiling materialized above them after several hours of riding. The best part was, the viruses didn't need to be directed at all! They knew the way to ShadowMan's lair and were more than happy to take their rescuers there.

Since the sun had disappeared some time back, ProtoMan had to rely on his internal clock to know the time.

"The love shack is a little old place, where we can get togetherrr! Love shack baby…. Love shack, baby love shack! Love shack, baby love shack! Love shack, baby love shack! Sign says, stay away fools!" Bass belted out the classic rock song as loud as he could, grinning like a little kid who knew a secret.

Groaning, ProtoMan shook his head. "For the sake of my ears, stop it Bass."

"Awwww…" The cloaked Navi seemed slightly crestfallen. "I was just about to get to the good parts too."

With a roll of his eyes, ProtoMan countered. "Oh, what a tragedy. Forgive me for not crying."

Frowning, Bass gazed evenly across at his tall partner. "Oh, and I suppose you can sing any better?"

The normally poker faced Navi turned a brilliant shade of pink. "Well, I'm not saying you have a bad voice, but after the tenth time of hearing that…."

But nothing he said could deter the black Navi from his intended course of action. "Okay, I dare you to sing something now! C'mon, or are you scared?"

Indignant, the red hero straightened a little. "I am not scared! It's just that I don't have that good of a voice."

"Oh really? Well then," Bass remarked, a sly smile spreading across his features, "Why does my little sister say that you've got a wonderful voice and that I should hear you sing sometimes?"

"SHE SAID _WHAT _NOW!"

"Hey, I'm only repeating what she said to me. It's up to you. You can sing, or you can't. Take your pick."

Due to his nature, ProtoMan couldn't just back down from a challenge, especially not one from Bass. Taking a deep breath, he prepared to belt out a song at the top of his lungs.

Unfortunately, he never did get that chance, because his Spikey, Zero, had stopped abruptly and he smashed his face into the neck of his pet. Leaning over, he stroked Zero's neck fondly. "Hey boy, what's up?" Looking up, ProtoMan found out what.

StoneMan blocked the two hero's path, his not so bright eyes glittering maliciously. He didn't really have to try hard to block the path, his bulk filled the width of the tunnel, but the high ceiling gave them room to move. He resembled a Navi put together from building blocks and really, was relatively dangerous in confined areas like this. Or any other area for that matter.

"StoneMan!" Bass had slid off of Treble and was ready for a fight, his hands glowing with a slight gold light of the Earthbreaker. "What do you want?"

Giving Bass an exasperated glare, ProtoMan could hardly believe what he was hearing.

The black Navi shrugged. "Sorry, standard question. I guess I watch too many movies." Turning back to the stone monster in front of him, Bass' eyes flared bright red against the purple stripes and tan skin on his cheeks. "Okay, so we know why you're here."

StoneMan seemed stunned. "You do?"

"Well of course." ProtoMan slid down from Zero and had his Cyber Sword at the ready. "We're here for Star, you're here because you're following the orders of a crazed madman who has Star in his clutches. Any questions?" Bending his knees, ProtoMan narrowed his eyes and focused his mind. "Enough! Let's cut the chatter and get on with this!"

StoneMan didn't reply, but the way he reacted gave both Navi's their answer. "Rock Cube!"

Bass was lightning fast, whipping out the aura and allowing the rocks that came his way to fall harmlessly and crack on the aura.

ProtoMan moved as a red blur, slicing through the flying rocks, his speed unbelievable. Leaping over a rock, the red Navi held his sword high over his head for an overhead strike. "TAKE THIS!" With a bound off of StoneMan's massive head, ProtoMan wasted no time slashing viciously at the body before taking another flying leap off. Rebounding against the rock wall, he slashed again at StoneMan's bulk with no luck.

"We gotta get through his body if we're ever going to do any damage to him! But how? When I last saw him, he was a top solo net Navi in World Three, specializing in demolition!" Bass cried, pulling ProtoMan behind his aura. He growled in frustration. "And he's making me hold a defensive position!"

ProtoMan studied the rock monster ahead of them. "Last I faced StoneMan was with MegaMan in the N1 Grand Prix. Even then, he was tough to defeat. All because of his regeneration program."

Wincing at the blows the rocks made on the aura, Bass inclined his head towards the red Navi. "How'd you two finish him off last time?"

"MegaMan got a blade between the rocks, which made him collapse, then I sliced the regeneration program in two."

A grin spread across Bass' face. "Well, there's two of us, isn't there?"

Hiding his initial surprise, ProtoMan nodded. "Right! I'll get my blade between the boulders, and you destroy the regeneration program."

"On three, okay? One…two…" Bass put down the aura for a heartbeat. "THREE!"

Darting forward, ProtoMan weaved between the rocks, as nimble as an ice skater but far more deadly. Halfway there, ProtoMan realized something had changed about StoneMan. The rocks he was comprised of were now too tightly compacted to get a regular Cyber Sword through. Retracting it, ProtoMan decided to pull out all the stops. "_MURAMASA STYLE!_"

In a flash of light, ProtoMan had changed. His boots and gloves now appeared to be made of red cloth that was held up by two brown belts on each boot or glove. The body armor that encased ProtoMan's chest had grown longer in the back to make some sort of a trench coat like garment, while near the bottom of the cloth it split in two, like coattails. Under where the original chest armor ended, two brown belts accented it nicely. The best part was what ProtoMan whipped out of a plain sword scabbard, Muramasa itself.

The sword was special because the more the user suffered, the more power it wielded. It was designed like a Japanese sword, light and easy to use. But for the purpose it served now, ProtoMan didn't need power; he just needed a blade thin enough to get through the stone exterior.

"HAVE AT YOU!" Lunging forward, ProtoMan heard the satisfying sound of metal over rock.

With a stunned look in his eyes, StoneMan collapsed into a jumble of rocks, with the regeneration program exposed. The regeneration program was a glowing blue orb that was just larger than a tennis ball.

"BASS, NOW!"

Withdrawing his aura, Bass thrust his left hand forward. "You got it Proto! AIR BURST!" As the small explosions rattled forward, Bass felt horror grip him, a heavy weight seeming to sink into the pit of his stomach. ProtoMan just happened to be in the line of fire! "Proto! Get down!"

The Black Shadow caught a glimpse of ProtoMan turning to see the explosions bearing down on him before he was lost to view, smoke and light erupting from the area. As soon as it was clear, Bass charged in, worry etched on his features. Flipping rocks over, he searched franticly, the viruses behind him whining unhappily. "ProtoMan, c'mon! This really isn't funny! Come on out!" He stopped mid turn. Only a couple yards away, ProtoMan was laying facedown, small sounds coming from his form, which shook with what looked like sobs. Reasoning that ProtoMan was crying in pain, Bass hurried over. "ProtoMan! Are you all right? I'm so…" Flipping the silver haired Navi over, Bass was surprised.

ProtoMan wasn't crying. Quite the opposite actually. He was laughing. "Wow!" The red Navi chuckled, sitting up slowly. "That was a close one."

Flopping down, Bass stared at his partner. He was dirty, but seemed unharmed otherwise. "You dirty dog!" He cried indignantly. "D'you know that you had me worried sick!"

Zero seemed to sense that his new master had been in some sort of danger, made his way over and began licking ProtoMan to ensure he was all right.

Pushing the Spikey aside, Bass smiled at the creature. "All right Z, he's all right. Leave him be for just a- PROTO! Your head!"

Clapping a hand to his cheek, ProtoMan felt a warm trickle of blood seep down. Pulling his hand away, ProtoMan stared at the blood on his hand in somewhat of a mix between horror and astonishment. "I don't know how…it must've happened when I threw myself down…I don't…."

Bass took charge quickly, leaving the red Navi to mutter. Striding over to his Spikey, Treble, he removed the 'collar' from around his neck. Really, it was a long strip of white cloth but it would have to do for now. Kneeling before the injured Navi with the cloth in his hand, Bass looked him in the eye. "Hold still, I'm gonna take off your helmet." Gently, the Black Shadow pulled ProtoMan's red helmet off to reveal his silver hair beneath.

ProtoMan's once long silvery white bangs had turned a shade of red from the blood that soaked into it. Pushing them back, Bass spotted a particularly nasty cut that curved in the same way ProtoMan's sunglasses did. Bass reasoned that when Proto threw himself down, the glasses must've been pushed up and cut his forehead.

"Hold still, this won't hurt." Wrapping the bandage around ProtoMan's head a couple times, he tied it off neatly, wringing the blood out of the red Navi's hair. "There, that's better."

Putting his helmet back on, ProtoMan nodded sheepishly. "Thanks. I just don't see how I could've been so careless…."

Helping his injured partner to his feet, Bass grinned. "Ah well, even the most careful person can get injured every now and then." Eyeing Proto's new look, he widened his grin. "Nice outfit by the way."

Marching on in silence, ProtoMan was still disappointed with himself for getting injured. For almost an hour, they walked, the Spikeys following and nudging them in the right direction. Soon, they reached a stretch of path that the Spikeys would not follow them down, whining sadly when they tried to get them to follow.

Untying the strip of white cloth from around Zero's neck, Proto patted his Spikey gently. "All right, you don't have to come. I just hope I don't delete you one of these days. Take care, you hear?" ProtoMan's answer was a small bark and a lick on the cheek.

Bass stroked Treble fondly. "I'm gonna miss you big guy. Maybe I'll find you out there sometime, huh? We'll have fun together then."

After being set free, both Spikeys fled towards the entrance of the maze, kicking up dust.

The black Navi turned to the red one. "Looks like we're on our own, huh?"

Nodding, ProtoMan strode down the hall, eyes focused at the end. At the end of the hall was a large foreboding archway, which lead into what he only assumed was ShadowMan's lair.

When the two were only a couple yards away, a thin beam of golden orange light shot down, causing both Bass and ProtoMan to stop dead in their tracks.

The figure in front of them picked itself up off the ground and stared directly at them, a smile perched on its face. "Hello boys."

"It can't be…" Whispered ProtoMan

"It is." Bass said in a hushed tone.

"_Starfire."_


	12. Bustin' Out

I was getting a lot better at controlling my aura. Even though the water in my cell had risen to mid calf, I was entertaining myself by trying to make my aura into shapes. I had succeeded in making a heart, but nothing more complicated than that. My ultimate goal was to form it into a key, so I could get out of my cell.

Suddenly, a sixth sense within me went wild. It was the same sixth sense that had warned me about the presence of FreezeMan and TorchMan in the desert. Withdrawing the aura, I did so not a moment too soon.

A screen appeared, with ShadowMan at the other end. "Hello my little Starry."

I grimaced. "I've told you, don't call me that! Now what do you want you sick demented freak of nature?"

Turning to the side a little bit, ShadowMan seemed to be inspecting his fingernails. "Oh, I thought you might want to know of my newest plan. Since your dear boyfriend ProtoMan has a Net Op, I figure we should let him know of his Navi's deletion."

My heart seared with pain like ShadowMan had just poured salt into it while performing open-heart surgery without anesthetic. Biting my tongue, I told myself firmly not to cry. "How can I? I'm a little imprisoned at the moment, and I know you're not keen on letting me go. Plus, you going yourself is like dancing the cancan in front of the Net Police."

Wagging a finger, ShadowMan smirked. "Actually, you will be the bearer of bad news."

I gave a snort of disbelief. "Yeah, when I grow wings and fly!"

"Start flying then." Stepping aside, ShadowMan revealed what looked like…. well, _me_. "I'd like you to meet CopyStar.EXE. She will be your, shall I say, replacement."

Rising, I was enraged at this. "How dare you!" I almost shrieked. "How dare you try to pass of this…this… this _IMPOSTER_ as me? Sam will never go for it."

Still smirking, ShadowMan sat back. "Actually, she might. You are bound to be out of it with the death of your boyfriend…  
"HE IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND!"

"So it's only natural she think this is how you'd react." His hand moved off screen. "Now, I'll be putting my plan in motion, so be good."

"I hope God smites you and your sick creation into no more than junk data that's eaten by the Mettaurs!" I spat angrily.

Pausing, ShadowMan gave me a look of mild bemusement. "Do you know who God is Starry? When you close your eyes and wish really, really hard for something, he's the guy that doesn't let you have it."

And then he was gone. Turning, I decided it was time for me to take things into my own hands.

Pulling my hand back so it was just above my shoulder, it began to glow with a golden light.


	13. Deletion

Both boys seemed too stunned to do much but gape at the orange Navi that had appeared before them.

Taking a step forward, Bass studied the other Navi. "Starry? Is that you? How did you escape?"

Starfire didn't seem too keen on answering Bass' questions though. "Well, well, isn't this a surprise. Here I was, thinking that you two had been deleted."

ProtoMan was bursting with joy at the sight of his lost partner. "That's what we thought about you Star! Oh, I can't tell you how…"

A blaster shot cut him off, and ProtoMan went sprawling in order to avoid the attack.

Bass whirled on his sister. "Starry, what was that all about! ProtoMan's your best- AH!"

Barely getting his aura up in time, Bass deflected a plasma shot that was directed at him.

"You see," Starfire still was aiming her blaster at both boys in turn, "ShadowMan told me that you two were deleted. I now see he was mistaken, and I'll have to do this myself."

Dodging a hail of fire, ProtoMan called out to Bass. "Bass! She's gone mad!"

Surprised by the ferocity of the attack, the Black Shadow was forced to hold his defensive position for the second time today. "Don't think I haven't noticed!"

"I'll handle her!" With lightning fast speed, ProtoMan charged into the plasma shots, drawing Muramasa as he went. "STAR!" The red Navi crashed into the orange one, pinning her to the wall, Muramasa grating against a Cyber Sword. "Star, I don't want to hurt you!" ProtoMan gasped, his face inches from Starfire's. "It's us, Bass and ProtoMan! Your- Aaagh!"

The blonde haired Navi had thrown ProtoMan down, and now stood over him. She said nothing, but raised her Cyber Sword in preparation for an overhead strike.

Closing his eyes tightly, the silver haired Navi brought Muramasa up to counter, but a voice cried out before anything happened.

"AIR BURST!"

Opening his eyes, ProtoMan saw Starfire frozen in agony, holes ripped in her where the Air Burst had hit. Then, in a shower of data, she was gone. Turning, ProtoMan could hardly believe it. "Bass! You just…. you…"

Bass closed his eyes, trying hard to stop the tears from flowing. "What I've done for her is a lot better than living a life of enslavement."

The red Navi just sat on the ground, clutching Muramasa like a child would cling to a stuffed animal or blanket. Star was gone…he couldn't seem to get the idea to sink in, but it resonated through his thoughts, torturing him from the inside.

Seeing the state his partner was in, Bass cleared his throat. "I think it's best if we stay here for a little while longer."

As the two sat, silence rang around the tunnel, making it awkward and eerie. At long last, Bass gathered the courage to speak. "She didn't call me Oniichan. That's how I knew she was being controlled. Starry would've wanted it this way, rather than be used as a tool for the darkness."

ProtoMan nodded numbly, looking as if he'd just gotten run over by a Mettaur and couldn't quite believe it had happened.

After another long silence, Bass glanced at ProtoMan. "You know, you still have to sing."

For the first time in almost a half hour, the red Navi spoke. "I don't have anything to play."

Giving a small smile, Bass produced an acoustic guitar from under his cloak. "Let it never be said that the Get Ability is a disadvantage." Glancing sheepishly at his partner, who was looking at the guitar, Bass shrugged. "I attacked a guy playing an acoustic guitar. What can I say?" Settling back, the black Navi stared at the other Navi. "Well, let's hear you."

Strumming, ProtoMan didn't seem to hear the other Navi, but became lost in the music almost. With a deep breath, he began to sing.

"Star woke up, 8 AM, graduation day. Got into a car, crashed along the way. And we arrived late to the wake, stole the urn while they looked away, and I took it to the beach because I knew you'd want it that way.

And we were standing on the hood of the car, singing out loud as the sun came up! And I know it wasn't right, but it felt so good, and your mother didn't mind, like I thought she would. And that REM song was playing in my mind…three and a half minuets, felt like a lifetime."

As ProtoMan moved into the next verse, his voice was filled with sorrow and longing, almost nostalgic.

"And you move like water…I could drown in you…and I fell so deep once, till you pulled me through. You said no one's ever allowed to be so proud, that they never reach out when they've given up!

And we were standing on the hood of the car, singing out loud as the sun came up! And I know it wasn't right, but it felt so good, and your mother didn't mind, like I thought she would. And that REM song was playing in my mind…three and a half minuets, felt like a lifetime.

Are you standing in the lights? Coming your hair again, or talking in rhyme? Are you standing in the lights?"

By the time the red Navi was finishing, his voice was seeping with anguish and sorrow.

"When I got home, I heard the phone your parents had arrived. Your dad set his jaw but your ma just smiled and sighed. But they left soon and I went to my room, played that disc that you'd given me. I close my eyes; I swear I can hear the sea.

And you were standing on the hood of the car, singing out loud as the sun came up! And I know it wasn't right, but it felt so good, and your mother didn't mind, like I thought she would. And that REM song was playing in my mind…three and a half minuets…

Three…and a half minuets…. Felt like a life time."

Handing back the guitar, silence rushed in to fill the absence of music. The emotion in ProtoMan's song had shocked the Black Shadow.

Standing, ProtoMan faced the stone archway, his voice hard and determined. "Let's go."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The song ProtoMan sang was Lifetime, by Better Than Ezra. I changed the first word of the song to match the situation; the first line is really "_Allie_ woke up, 8 AM, graduation day…"

If you don't know the song Bass was singing right before they came across StoneMan, you deserve to be beaten to a pulp. Bass was singing Love Shack by the B-52's. Seriously, if you don't know that song, you really have not lived.


	14. When In Doubt, Run

Bass was having trouble keeping up with ProtoMan now that he was fueled with anguish over Star's deletion. He could understand his fury, but this was a little out of hand. "Proto, I know you're upset, but just what do you intend to do here?"

Not looking back, ProtoMan grimaced. "Find ShadowMan and give him what he deserves for what he's done."

"What would that be?"

"Shoving it up his…"

"OKAY! I think I get the point."

Slowing a little, the red Navi threw Bass a glance. "I just can't let him get away with this! You understand that better than anyone."

Nodding, Bass floated beside the angered Navi. "Yeah, I understand. I just hope ShadowMan didn't get anything out of Star."

The silence that fell between the Navis was broken only by ProtoMan's footsteps on the golden tan floor. ShadowMan's lair was carved directly into the rock.

Pausing at a crossroads, the pair stared down at least five different passages.

"Which one will lead us to ShadowMan?" Pondered Bass aloud.

ProtoMan was toying with Muramasa in its scabbard, thinking hard. "We should head for the control room. He's got to head there eventually."

Peering at ProtoMan, Bass was intrigued. "What makes you say there's a control room here?"

Smiling for the first time since Star had been deleted, the silver haired Navi studied a couple different paths. "Every evil villain has one, trust me. It's a rule or something."

Sweeping his glowing hand into the darkness of one hall, the Black Shadow gave a low whistle. "Dang. That crafty Navi, he's got a freaking fortress in here! Looks like he was planning a war or something. Get a look at this!"

Meandering over, ProtoMan peered down the hall Bass was looking at and saw that it wasn't a hall, but a small stretch of path that led to a room full of weapons. There were dangerous experimental viruses, even Omega Spikeys and Omega Mettaurs in stasis. Leaning back into the big room that all the paths lead off of, he kicked at the ground. "You're right Bass, he's got enough weapons in there to destroy the cyber world twice over! It's like ShadowMan's planning a takeover or something."

"That was the general plan."

Whirling, both black and red Navi spotted ShadowMan, leaning against what had been their only exit. Now, he casually flipped his hand, shutting off the escape route.

With a howl of rage, ProtoMan fired a shockwave at ShadowMan, screaming obscenities that made Bass, who knew every unprintable word known to man, go a light shade of pink.

Smirking, the ninja like Navi raised an aura with a familiar golden tint to it.

Bass growled. "You stole the Ultimate Program? You stole it and then killed Starry?"

"Yes," The sinister ninja sighed, "Yes, I suppose I did. Not that you two can do anything about it."

Unplanned, both the Black Shadow and ProtoMan charged forward, yelling the same thing at ShadowMan. "OH YEAH?"

But he still had the aura up; every attack that the pair tried was useless. Even Bass' Earthbreaker didn't have any effect!

"Bass!" Cried Proto, firing shock waves at the kidnapper, "I have an idea!"

"Oh? What?" Asked the cloaked Navi, sidling over to the silver haired Navi, curiosity in his eyes.

Throwing him a glance, ProtoMan took a deep breath. "Run."

Neither Navi had to be told twice. Firing a final barrage, they fled down a hall, ShadowMan's laughter ringing in their ears.


	15. Freedom At Last

I gave the door a kick and although it was made of solid steel, not much can withstand an Earthbreaker and a kick. The sad looking thing went clattering across the hall, and the water inside my cell flooded out, sweeping across the stone floor. It was at this time that I noticed there weren't any doors in this stretch of hall. Darting up and down, I eventually realized the reasoning for this.

ShadowMan is a solo Net Navi, as most of you readers know. Solo Navis can pull themselves out and teleport to wherever they desire whenever they want. Since I am not a solo Navi, I can't do this. ShadowMan didn't _need_ doors here, seeing as he could teleport!

But then again, who needs teleportation, when you've got the Earthbreaker on your side?

Aiming at the wall, I focused hard on what I had to do, and blasted the wall. After about four blasts, there was a hole large enough for me to climb through. Stepping out into another corridor, I took a deep breath. Sure, it was dusty, yeah, I was still in the fortress, but I was free. No longer was ShadowMan the master of my fate!

I stood there, just happy to be free, lost in my thoughts until someone called my name from the end of the hall.


	16. The Final Battle

Panting, ProtoMan leaned against a wall, and then glanced at Bass, who was also breathing hard. "D'you think we lost him?"

Shaking his head, Bass straightened up. "I think so, but just in case, let's take that hall right up there."

Pulling himself to his feet, the red Navi slung Muramasa at his hip, leading the way towards the next hall. Turning, he stopped dead, staring at a figure that was just visible through a cloud of dust.

Behind him, ProtoMan sensed Bass' presence, and he knew that he wasn't the only one who saw the increasingly familiar figure through the dust.

"Starfire?"

The beautiful golden haired Navi turned, her blue eyes immediately locked on ProtoMan.

No words were exchanged, but ProtoMan walked forward and embraced Starfire, relief flooding his entire system.

"Proto…. it's really you…. I thought you were…." The orange Navi whispered so only ProtoMan heard.

Not breaking the hug, the red Navi whispered his reply. "I thought I'd lost you forever."

Finally pulling away, Star looked up at ProtoMan, smiling. "What you thought was me, was actually a copy of my data known as CopyStar.EXE." Her look became serious as Bass approached, ruffling her hair and she nodded a greeting, flashing him a smile. "It's from that thing that ShadowMan has gotten his 'Ultimate Program.' He's discovered that when he copied me to the best of his abilities, he got something along the lines of a temporary Ultimate Program."

"Very good, Starry."

For the second time in under an hour, everyone turned to see ShadowMan at the opposite end of the hall, wearing a trademark smirk.

Making a movement to get at him, ProtoMan was halted by Starfire's arm.

"Let me handle this one."

Looking at Star, ProtoMan glanced up just as the Style Change happened.

In an instant, Starfire had gone from hazardous to deadly. And truth be told, she looked really cool.

Her entire body and helmet had been turned black, possibly to reflect her relation to Bass. The helmet had produced two fins, smaller than Bass' and a bright blue color. Between them, a purple five-pointed star gleamed like Bass' blue four-pointed star did. Around Star's neck was what looked like a strip of Bass' cloak that had been tied into a scarf. Two purple shoulder pads that looked like MegaMan's sat on her shoulders, and Star's hair was now streaked with purple. The crest on Star's chest had a blue triangle that pointed up towards Star's head and two diagonal stripes of blue meeting at the crest. On her arms was a gold band just below the elbow and one near the wrist, while between the two bands bright blue color sparkled at them. The bathing suit like bottom was now a deep purple, which was very different from the normal shade of red. Starfire's boots had also changed. Two triangles of 3D gold came up, bordered by thick stripes of blue. The gold band beneath that hadn't changed much, and the boot had changed from orange to purple.

In the silence that followed this miraculous Style Change, only Bass spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "Forte Style…" He breathed, this show of hidden power surprising even him. "I never thought such a thing could exist…"

"And yet," Starfire had turned just a bit to look at him, "It does. Now, stand back and let me work, all right?"

Scarf fluttering, the new Forte Style Starfire glared at ShadowMan, who practically cowered in fear.

"You know," She remarked, purposely striding down the long hall towards her kidnapper, "I asked you not to call me Starry. But you know, some Navis just don't get the message. Or they don't know when to quit." Now she was standing eye to eye with ShadowMan, and for some reason, perhaps it was the style change, she seemed to have grown a bit. Speaking so only she and ShadowMan could hear, the blonde warrior leaned towards him. "I think," Star whispered dangerously, "I also requested that you leave my boyfriend alone. But did you listen to me? No…you…did…not!"

The last word was accentuated with a fierce punch to the face, which sent ShadowMan reeling. In a heartbeat, the now dark colored warrior leapt into action, using every power within her possession.

ProtoMan and Bass watched, wincing at the vicious blows Star landed. Turning away, the red Navi asked Bass a question that had been bothering him for some time. "Bass, if Star could do this the entire time she was here, why didn't she do it sooner? I mean," Casting a look over where Starfire was sparing no power to beat on ShadowMan, "Look at her!"

Watching his sister admiringly, Bass crossed his arms and shook his head. "See Proto, that's the thing about Starry. Ever since she was little and knew she had that power, she hid it. Star doesn't like the feeling of power in her blood. I think what happened with me…" Bass absently rubbed his chest, where ProtoMan knew that under the cloak was a long jagged scar that ran diagonally across the black Navi's chest. He continued to speak, " It scared her. It gave her the idea that if you had power or were too different, you'd suffer my fate. Perhaps this prompted her to hide her power for all these years. But for whatever reason, Star's decided to show it now." Then he winked, as if he couldn't hear ShadowMan screaming in agony and Starfire's muffled cry of 'Hold still you stinking…' But that's Bass for you. "I don't think she'd like that kind of life anyway. Being known as too powerful for your own good, I mean. She likes the normal life anyways."

"DUCK!"

Stooping low to the ground, ProtoMan glimpsed ShadowMan fly over his head. Standing, he saw that Starfire had leapt over him and was keen on pursuing her intended victim.

Standing, ShadowMan was in terrible condition. Parts of his data were flickering dangerously, plus he was missing a good chunk of data out of his shoulder and side. "You may have won this round," Rasped the battered ShadowMan, pulling out what looked like a detonator, "But mark my words, I'll be back. And when I do, that Ultimate Program will be mine!" Pressing the detonator, ShadowMan teleported out.

With a strangled cry, Bass made to go after ShadowMan, but Starfire stopped him. "Let him go Oniichan," She said quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We will fight him another day."

With a flash of light, Starfire resumed her normal form and stared, embarrassed at her feet. "I'm sorry you had to see me like that. I've known for some time now what my form would look like when I fully utilize my Ultimate Program, but I hate…"

Whatever Star hated about it, we shall never know, because at that precise moment, an alarm began to sound.

"WARNING! SELF DESTRUCT OF FORTRESS IS IN SIXTY SECONDS! EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY! HAVE A NICE DAY!"

Swearing, Bass dashed to the end of the hall. "Great! Now what?" He growled loudly.

Dashing off, Star's eyes lit up. "I recall seeing a flight of stairs going up and out when being taken back to my cell! This way!"

Together, the reunited trio sped up the rapidly crumbling staircase, and as the countdown entered the last ten digits, they flung themselves out onto the top of the cliffs ProtoMan and Bass had seen at the beginning of this adventure.

Throwing the stone door shut, Bass smirked. His theory of a field on top of the cliffs was correct! A dry field, but a field nonetheless. Grinning at the muffled explosion, he turned to look at the two other Navis, who were recovering their senses nearby.

Sitting up, ProtoMan stared at the cyber sky. It was dark with storm clouds, and a wind stirred the dead grasses, rustling them eerily. "You okay Star?"

She looked at him and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine Proto." Standing, Starfire looked up and a fat raindrop splashed her right on the nose.

In a matter of seconds, the dark clouds had split open, pouring their contents down onto the dry fields.

Spinning, Starfire laughed a wild laughter that rang from all the cliffs and into the ruins of ShadowMan's fortress. Dancing through the field, Star welcomed the rain like an old friend.

Grinning, ProtoMan walked over, catching Star as she spun into him. For a moment, both Navis just looked into each other's eyes before ProtoMan leaned forward and kissed Starfire.

Closing her eyes and leaning into ProtoMan, Starfire reflected. So the story had ended the way ShadowMan said, with a kiss. So what? If this was the way everything ended, she thought, then maybe it's not so bad after all.

Pulling apart, the duo looked at Bass, who had approached.

"Let's go home." He stated, a grin spreading across his features.

It was possibly the sweetest sentence any of them had heard in a long while.


	17. Epilogue

Epilogue

Only a week after the whole episode had been resolved, ProtoMan and Starfire were back where it all began, in NetCity Park. With both Sam and Chaud looking at them through communications screens, they all summed up what had happened in the past week.

"So," Chaud began, "Star, you've mastered your Ultimate Program, but don't want to use it."

"Only for very special circumstances." Starfire added quickly.

Nodding, Sam continued the tale. "Bass has proven his innocence and joined the Net Police as a freelance, where he's currently in the Undernet searching for ShadowMan."

With a sigh, ProtoMan leaned back into the grass. "Yeah. I'm just disappointed that we never got to finally put him away for good!"

To everyone's surprise, Chaud shrugged. "There's always next time, isn't there? I mean," he looked at Sam and Starfire, "With you and Star around, he doesn't have a chance."

Both Navis looked at each other and smiled.

"Yeah." Sam was smiling as she slung her book bag over her shoulder. "C'mon Chaud. We've got to get to the library if we're ever gonna finish our project in time!" Almost as an afterthought, she turned to Starfire. "Are you two going to be okay alone like this?"

At the same time, both Navis glanced at Sam and spoke.

"Oh, Sam! We'll be fine…!"

"Sam, don't worry. I'll take care of anything that goes on here."

When Sam and Chaud had gone, the orange Navi smiled at Proto. "Quite the adventures we've had, eh Proto?"

The red Navi stared at the clear blue sky, feeling very sick at the thought of what he was about to do. "Yeah…" Finally he propped himself up on an elbow, staring directly at Starfire. "Star, I wanted to ask you something."

Curious, Star rolled over to look at him as well. This, she reflected, was the position they were in when it had all started. Proto asking a question, and they were laying in the soft grass. "Well, ask away."

Unconsciously toying with a blade of grass, the silver haired Navi began to stutter. "Well…I was…. you know, just curious if…. if you'd… I mean, a Navi like you probably wouldn't want…." Screwing up his face in determination, ProtoMan felt more nervous than he had ever been in his life. Amazing how asking what seemed like a simple question scared him more than a whole army of Bass clones. "Will you go out with me?"

Once the words were out of his mouth, ProtoMan instantly wished ShadowMan would come along and kidnap him. His face burned, and he knew that he must have turned a shade of red that would shame his armor. Then, he felt a hand rest on his, and he looked at Starfire.

She was smiling, blue eyes sparkling with happiness. This was the happiest ProtoMan had seen her since getting back. "Proto…Of course I will!"

His heart leapt. "You mean it?"

"Of course I do! I just wish you'd have asked me sooner!" Starfire cried, laughter barely hidden behind her voice.

As they lay there, ProtoMan smiled, staring again at the sky. He knew now that it was going to be all right. ShadowMan might strike again, that was true. But now he knew that he didn't have to face it alone.

He would do it with Starfire right by his side.

The End

Yes, it's finally over. Both brother and sister are reunited; ProtoMan finally got the guts to ask Star out…all is well.

Or is it?

What has happened to ShadowMan, who escaped into the Undernet? Will he still attempt to take over the cyber world and take the Ultimate Program? Only time (or another fan fic) can answer these questions. In the meantime, our heroes will live the quiet life.

Thank You Time! Thanks to HydraMan. EXE, SithKing Zero, and all others who reviewed. I'm not that good with names. My next project is something I'm calling The Story, and you'll just have to keep yourself posted on that one, it's gonna take a while. In the meantime, I'm also working on a story about ProtoMan's past. Where he came from and such. After that, maybe a MegaMan X fic, who knows! Thank you all!

_Blitz Chick_


End file.
